The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1887-05-11
TIMELY TOPICS FER EA&1NI..!SSS.
HOW 10 D@ pzHs5>; TGH:. x :E.-'s
SEASON.

HON y % X G-.h&T ~ ~'-t- =. =
SEASON.
Suggestions .: Interest. :ro:.' - i,,'.,ae-:'
tati:e source.
L. JOKES = the so:s.eg-: C;,..,:.,.'.)
The fight with grass and vee1s aas
now fairly begun. Il the 4-s1 worzll.s.:
is properly done, success is easy; :. 'aot.
the struggle IS ap5 70 be lcog "&1 hard,
Because the little grass IS l.c:rt1i.5- .isi2,-o-
the farmers fears &re not July &cco&ol;:
and he is tempted TO 50 eve his 1g22
hastily and perhaps c&re.es<;'y. :iss3e
loose dirt from hoe or pos hides 81;
does not smother the young grass, s2t
the first rain unco7ers it and stimulates
to rapid growth. Where is the farmer
OF any experience who has nos felt the
power OF s'2Iay" grass? Il coGes up
round the Gotten plant and hugs it close
ly; It sends It's roots down quickly into
the manure intended for the c3:to1, and
grows With amazing rapidly. ii hoeiag
it, the Dirt is apt to be taken irom the
cotton and the latter t&ls cver, or the
hand is delayed to hill It up again. tAe
time to strangie the demon IS 81 It's birth
kill it by the time or before i reaches
the surface. The ightest, slightest STIR
ring OF the soil viii then destroy It.
Hence the excellent work OF tlle harrow
if started in time. It viii Kill the grass
but not the cotton. But /: must be
started Il time-jUs5 IS the co-Son Is
coming up; It must strike the grass just
as the latter IS also coming ui:: later tl2n
that, il viii only help 20 cUlGv&ce i5 and
make it grow faster. But the ''o.k nay
also be well done with g sweep properly
set and started IL tine. The wing must
run so fat SIS to throT little ,.irt; this
allows the siding 10 be very c2oSe, aaa
all the grass to be ullt, except & 'aGy Lar-
row strip OF it a!oug the dGill. Now i
the work is done early, when t::.a 9r&ss Is
Just coming rp, enough dlrt may be
thrown upon it 70 Kill that OF t1is strip
without covering or r1as:ling Gown the
young cotton. But every thi2g &epe2Gs
on doing the wock at TIE proQc- time.
Another mistake often made IS to fol-
low the plow Immediately : with tne hoe;
the result IS the dirt thrown Oh the Grass
by the plow IS removed By the Zoe ard
the grass thereby uncovered. Follow
the plow with the hoe at al interval OF q
week, and If possible. let the p:ows fol-
low closely on the hoes so as y smother
again any uncovered, uncut gr@5s. 0o-
serve: the plows arg to be started Tie
first time very early, iclst IS ti:e cotton
fairly begins 10 come up; II this IS done,
the hoes can afford 20 wait q Week. E1t
if the blowing is delayed I'll the cotto2
is one or two weeks Old, The hoes cannot
be held back because the cotton vii
need thinning too badly. As stated be-
fore, everything depends 1pcn dol9s
work at the propeG tine; this IS equally
ilnportant as doing Ii i 3 prol,er MAJ
ner. II has always seemed 70 Us that
the "blockirg' oQs ct cotton vas labor
lost. It can be brought to u f2s2l staad
about as easily before i IS blocked; rs
after. Early and frequent p}ogiDgs are
needed TO break crusts and 1eep TIE
plants healthy and growing, but 40 not
Start the hoes til the p-oger tine TO
bring the cotton TO q inalotanc. Il the
seed haze not been soWn 100 tG:cll. or Il
the plants have been judiciously thinred
out by harrow, Two piowings may be
gwen before the irst hoeirg. The plow
ouehs to do every thing but the thinning
of the cotton. We rely too much OIL
hoe WORK; 1t Is too expensive and eats
ND too much Of the profits; never lose
sight OF the great problem of reducing
the coss CT production; never forget that
horsepower is cheaper than human
power, and machines than human hands.
Cotton calls for frequent working II
its essly stages; It IS important to push
it rspidly beyond the point where It
suffers from 'sso-e Sims and Ice. In
fhe oIden time it was thought best to
side cotton with scooters, shovsl or other
deeprunning pIows. ample experience
has shown that this is neither necessary
nor desirable. The crop IS best culti-
vated from beginning to end Win sweep
OF shovel, set 20 run quite sh&iiow. y
soil deeply broken before planting, but
allowed to settla ard become somewhat
compact, Crowded that the <arfsce is
kept stirred, seems most co2GCclVe to
frniting. ASIDE from the matter OF root-
cutting, there seems 20 be decided sd
vantage in shallow culture to = cottcn
crop. It makes the glowth steady anc,
r1niiorm, and nothing contributes more
than such growth to fruitlng and the
holding OF 70 fruit. Rapid growth, fol
lowed by a Sudden check, Is the chief
csuse Of shedding. We cannot always
preFent the check, but We may DO some
ching towards putting the cropla condl-
non TO receive II WITH Least injury. The
object OF the farmer shoUl& be 70 keep
his cotton growing steadily, Du5 not too
rapidly. Rapid growth i always Dan,
serous, it makes sapgy, tender plant,
extremely sensitive to every adverse II
fuence.
During the next three months Dry
weather may be looked ic:', IN en&!ur,
Ell course Of things, il our climate, How
TO ward oil It's effects should DE kept
steadily IN yie. n al the operations 0!
the farm. How b32t TO keep tue 1e
served moisture IN the SCI is the great
auess;op. Flat cultivation stands tirst
and foremost among the 1le2li:. .or &C
comp!islinG this. Evaporation is d
cectly proportional to surface and say
face IS greatly increased by 3dgi0g
High beGs increase tle sutiQu;@. Ak ieas
one-sxth, and i1crease evaporation K